God, Work, and Significance: How Personal Assessments Increase Self-Actualization and Inform Occupational Choices to Provide a Sense of Significance and Meaning to Work

This project involved the testing of a self-assessment model based on Theology of Work principles for making occupational choices. The project was conducted with pastors and other staff members at the City of Hope International Church in San Diego, California. The project provides insight into the historical hiring practices of COHI and its parent organization. The organization historically has excluded assessment models to assist with job placement.

The conclusions convincingly prove that there is a need to consider moving toward a model that will serve the COHI hiring practices and the partnership at large. The tests produced a moderate awareness increase that was not formerly held and yet would have made a difference in their occupational choices had they had this information sooner. It also still showed a resistance toward moving to a model for societal and religious reasons. However, more importantly, there is a troubling lack of understanding concerning a Theology of Work. The results support that a stronger understanding of work and its theological implications would greatly benefit the COHI community. A strong theology around work would further add a level of motivation toward identifying the unity between assessment and assignment. The assessments were considered transformational for the participants, as I believe it will be for the entire COHI and River Fellowship when it is adopted.